Back-to-back 3-2 wins helped the Penticton peewee Tier 2 Vees sweep aside the Salmon Arm Silvertips in the second round of the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association playoffs.
The Vees dispatched the Silvertips quickly thanks to a 31-save performance by Kaleb McEachern Sunday with goal support from Brenden Patton, Cam Davie and Benjamin Hoefler.
“I thought we probably had one of our best team efforts,” said Vees coach Greg Berkholtz, who used five affiliate players.
Berkholtz praised the play of his goalies as Caleb Rousseau was strong between the pipes in the opening game.
“I thought we played a way better game (in the second game),” said Berkholtz. “We controlled the game pretty much the whole time, played probably the best game of the year, I would say.”
The coach was also very happy with the play of his defence because of how steady they were.
“That much riding on the game, they made good passes and chips off the boards,” said Berkholtz. “It’s nice to see how they have progressed.”
Berkholtz said that Nolan Walton and Patton were their best players as they just didn’t stop. The Vees coach said Patton is “probably our smartest hockey kid.”
“He sees the ice so well,” said Berkholtz. “He goes up against the biggest guys and has no fear. If we had six more of those kids, it would be incredible.”
In the opening win on Saturday, Patton, Davie and Kieran Mielke scored.
In other Penticton minor hockey playoff action, the midget Tier 2 Vees fell 5-1 to Kamloops at home in the first game of their second-round series. The next game will be in Kamloops’ Memorial Arena on Feb. 15.
Over the weekend in recreation atom playoff action, Penticton 2 swept Summerland 2 in a best-of-three, 9-2 in Memorial Arena on Feb.7 and 9-1 in Summerland on Feb. 8. Penticton 3 got past Penticton 4 in two games, winning 6-3 and 7-3.
In peewee rec round two action, Penticton swept past West Kelowna 8-0 and 3-0. Penticton 2 was swept by West Kelowna 2, 6-5 in West Kelowna and 5-4 in Memorial Arena.
In bantam action, Penticton 3 defeated Kelowna 8, 4-2 at home in Memorial Arena. Penticton then swept the series with a 5-0 win in Kelowna’s Memorial Arena. In midget action, Penticton blanked Kelowna 4-0. Results from Monday games were not available on the OMAHA website at press time.